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Rickey Henderson

Few players in the history of the game have put up the kind of career numbers that Rickey Henderson did. The brash, cocky and confident Henderson brought a winning attitude to each of the nine teams he played for. As a result of this, Ricky Henderson cards and autographed autographed memorabilia will always be popular.

Henderson retired with MLB records for career stolen bases (1,406), stolen bases in a season (130), career lead-off home runs (81) and runs scored (2,295). While records are made to be broken, it's going to be tough for baseball to produce a better lead-off hitter.

Rickey Henderson has one rookie card and it can be found in 1980 Topps Baseball. Collectors are also fond of his two minor league cards. He has one from 1977 with the Modesto A's and another when he was with the Ogden A's in 1979.

Henderson's first certified autograph, isn't on a card at all. In 2001, Donruss Playoff issued a product called Absolute Memorabilia. Each box included a signed baseball. Henderson has 25 such balls from the set.

His first autographed trading cards would be released the following year in several Donruss/Playoff products. Over the years, Henderson has continued to sign for sets regularly but not in huge numbers.

Rickey Henderson's first game-used memorabilia cards were produced in 2001 by several manufactures, including Donruss/Playoff, Fleer and Topps. He has both bat and jersey cards in various quantities.

Rickey Henderson autographed memorabilia carries a premium no matter what the item. His signature is highly desired by multiple types of collectors. On certain occasions he will appear at public signings, typically larger shows like the National Sports Collectors Convention. He is, however, a willing in-person signer in public.

Rickey Henderson Rookie Card

Arguably the top rookie cards of the 1980s, it's also one of the most valuable. Besides being notable for its place as the only Rickey Henderson rookie card, it's also an uncorrected error. The stats on the back list his previous year's numbers coming while with Modesto. It was actually Fresno. It is not a significant error and it was never corrected.

Rickey Henderson Autographed Memorabilia Buying Guide

Below you will find an example of what Rickey Henderson's authentic signature looks like. This can be used as a first point of reference for determining the legitimacy of autograph memorabilia, but is not a substitute for having your items authenticated by a well-respected professional autograph authentication company. Some of the trusted sources within the sports memorabilia market include the following companies: PSA, JSA, Steiner, Mounted Memories and Tristar. Click on any of the images below to view full size photos.

Ricky Henderson Cut Signature Exemplar:

Rickey Henderson Key Signature Attributes:An authentic Rickey Henderson signature autograph will exhibit several distinguishing characteristics. Henderson's autograph can vary slightly and has changed through the years. However, regardless of the type of item or when it was signed, look for the following signature features, which have remained fairly consistent:

It is written on a slightly rising horizontal plane.

A significant lean to the right of about 45 degrees.

The "R" is over-sized.

Noticeable attempts at the letters "i-c-k-y." The "i" is implied by a dot. The "c" is very small. The "k" is indicated by the angled vertical line. The "e" is not attempted.

The "H" often has a hook at the top of the first vertically angled line. The lines are parallel, narrowly spaced and connected towards the bottom.

Rob Bertrand | E-Mail Author | Rob is a former member of The Cardboard Connection Writing Staff and co-host of Cardboard Connection Radio.He is an avid collector with over 20 years of active experience in the hobby.